Rate Of Positive Tests Down In Virginia; Hospitalizations Inch Up

VIRGINIA — The Virginia Department of Health reported 444 additional cases of the coronavirus and 13 new deaths Wednesday. The latest cumulative totals for Virginia are 55,775 cases, 5,692 hospitalizations and 1,583 deaths.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday that the state will not be entering phase 3 of its reopening plan on Friday. The governor said he plans to release more specifics about what phase 3 of the state's reopening plan will look like at his scheduled news conference on Thursday.

"I want to have more time to see how the numbers look before we make changes, especially as we see surges in other parts of our country," Northam said in explaining why the state will not be entering phase 3 on Friday.

As of Wednesday, 491,884 tests (excluding antibody tests) have been completed in Virginia. The seven-day average for percent of positive test results was at 7.3 percent as of Wednesday. That's down from a peak of 22.2 percent on April 19. Of all the deaths in the state, 905 of them have been in long-term-care facilities.

As of Wednesday, 938 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, slightly up from the 904 reported Tuesday, according to the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. So far, 7,429 patients with the virus have been discharged after being hospitalized, up from 7,341 Tuesday.

Ventilator and intensive care unit use among COVID-19 patients continues to fall. As of Wednesday, there were 120 pending or confirmed COVID-19 patients on ventilators and 249 in the ICU. Among all Virginia hospital patients, 603 of 2,980 available ventilators are being used, representing 20 percent use. No hospitals are reporting difficulty obtaining or restocking personal protective gear or other medical supplies within the next 72 hours.

Of the 444 new cases reported Wednesday in Virginia, 124, or 27.9 percent, come from the Northern Virginia region. Here are the latest cumulative case updates for our coverage areas from Tuesday to Wednesday:

• Alexandria: 2,175 cases, 225 hospitalizations, 48 deaths; increase of seven cases, one hospitalization and one death.
• Arlington County: 2,372 cases, 407 hospitalizations, 124 deaths; increase of nine cases and one death removed.
• Fairfax County: 13,103 cases, 1,509 hospitalizations, 428 deaths; increase of 50 cases, eight hospitalizations and one death.
• Fairfax City: 68 cases, seven hospitalizations, seven deaths; increase of one case and one death.
• Falls Church: 58 cases, 11 hospitalizations, seven deaths; no changes.
• Loudoun County: 3,458 cases, 217 hospitalizations, 80 deaths; increase of 19 cases, 11 hospitalizations and four deaths.
• Manassas: 1,320 cases, 87 hospitalizations, 14 deaths; increase of three cases.
• Manassas Park: 390 cases, 45 hospitalizations, six deaths; increase of two cases.
• Prince William County: 6,621 cases, 621 hospitalizations, 127 deaths; increase of 33 cases and two hospitalizations.
• Fredericksburg: 215 cases, 24 hospitalizations, no deaths; increase of two cases.
• Spotsylvania County: 858 cases, 56 hospitalizations, 17 deaths; increase of nine cases.
• Stafford County: 906 cases, 91 hospitalizations, five deaths; increase of six cases and two hospitalizations.

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